Untold Tales of Amazing Fantasy
by The Infamous Man
Summary: Hang onto your hats True Believers! The world of Peter Parker is so vast that it cannot be contained in one book! Explore the sensational, spectacular, and amazing world of Spider-Man through these tales told to Izuku Midoriya for the first time! (Side-stories to Amazing Fantasy)
1. On A Day Unlike Any Other

"...Man, they _really _made Cap handsome in these." Peter commented as Captain America appeared in his full costume, confronting Loki for the first time in the first _Avengers _movie.

Izuku blushed in embarassment. "W-Well, a lot of people did say that Chris Evans was perfect for the role."

"Don't get me wrong, he's not ugly in real life... but man, I can see why even Diamondback would switch sides to be with him in these movies."

Izuku had decided to show Peter all the movies that Marvel had made about their characters in his universe, starting with the Sam Raimi and Marc Webb films before moving onto the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Peter was actually pretty curious about the films, specifically how the director of the _Evil Dead _trilogy and the director of _500 Days of Summer_ handled his character.

The reactions were... interesting.

_"Dunno how they did it, but they managed to make Norman creepier."_

_"Would it kill Maguire to sound a bit more enthusiastic?" _

_"MJ would've done _something _other than scream by now."_

_"...Why am I dancing like a tool? Pretty sure the Symbiote would've left me early just for that."_

_"...Okay, Gwen was many things but a science whiz she was not." _

_"Why... how is he being bullied!? His look is not screaming 'nerd' or anything! Hell, Flash probably would've brought me into his social circle if I acted like that!" _

_"I'm pretty sure Max hated dubstep." _

_"...Oh yeah, I remember Toomes bullshitting about how all my villains were part of some big conspiracy. It was stupid then and it's stupid here. Hell, he even admitted in jail that he was just talking out of his ass to try and distract me."_

It was like a really bizarre episode of _Mystery Science Theatre 3000, _just nonestop jokes and commentary on movies that were considered classics to Izuku... though admittedly they were pretty corny and melodramatic at points, but tons of old movies were.

He did get quiet when the people he knew died on screen. He didn't say a word when Harry Osborn, Norman Osborn, Dr. Octopus, Eddie Brock, George Stacy, and Gwen Stacy died. Izuku wanted to ask if he was okay, but before he could Peter just muttered "It's fine. I've moved on."

It was obviously a lie, but Izuku knew better than to press on about it.

It just wasn't something he could force Peter to tell him.

He liked the Marvel movies a bit better though. For one thing, in the movies Tony Stark 'acted less like a jackass' and thought that it was eerie how similar Robert Downey Jr and Chris Hemsworth looked to their characters' real life counterparts. Though so far, he liked _The Avengers_ the best out of all the Phase 1 movies with his second favorite being _Captain America: The First Avenger._

"And of course, Tony's gotta try and out-hero Cap." Peter groaned as Iron Man came onto the scene with his music blaring out of the suit's speakers.

"Did they do that often in your universe too?"

"Yup. Even before the whole SHRA thing." Peter waved his hand. "I mean, it wasn't as bad as when Clint joined, but I heard from Janet that it did get pretty annoying at times."

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask you about that." Izuku bit his lip. "S-So you're part of the Avengers... what's it like?"

He'd been meaning to ask Peter but there never seemed to be the time. Here and now though? Izuku was going to go for it.

Peter hummed. "Well... it's kinda like a family. I mean, we bicker and complain a lot but at the end of the day? We've got each other's backs." Peter smiled as he continued. "And no matter what we're up against, be it natural disasters, the latest killer AI with beef against humanity, or the month's scheduled alien invasion, we're going to make damn well sure that we win for everyone's sake."

Izuku smiled at that. That was how he imagined the Avengers ever since he read the comics and watched the movies. A dysfunctional family that nonetheless loved each other and fought the battles no one else could.

"Though, it's kinda awkward nowadays. A lot more kids are joining up and now me, Cap, and Tony are practically the only 'old guard' in the New York branch left. Thor's out in space and while Torunn's a nice girl she..."

Izuku blinked. "Torunn? As in, Thor's daughter?" The one from the animated _Next Avengers _movie actually existed in Peter's world?

"Yeah., that's right. Anyways, she's nice but she tries way too hard to act like her dad and kinda tries to tag along with us when we go out for a meal because that's what her dad did. At least Nadia and Henry Jr. are around to drag her off so she can hang out with Skaar and Robbie. Not that I'm complaining about them being around or anything, but it's eerie how so many teenagers are signing up to the Avengers rather than going with the Champions. I guess it's about brand recognition or something."

Peter shrugged. "Ah hell, I guess it's for the best. Lord knows that I would prefer they take a crack at Godzilla the next time he..."

"GODZILLA EXISTS!? AND HE'S IN YOUR UNIVERSE!?"

"Oh yeah. Jolly J yelled at him when he stomped into New York. Tony fought with the overgrown iguana in a giant robot. Fun times."

Izuku felt his jaw drop and his eye twitch from amazement.

He _really_ needed to get all the details about Peter's home sooner rather than later.

**XxxXXxxX**

"Wait... so why is Thor in space while Torunn is on Earth?" Izuku asked Peter as the two watched _Next Avengers. _Peter said he could see where the story was going a mile away and he found it weird that Captain America and Black Widow had a kid in one universe, but it was a fun little adventure. "I mean, they don't explain it here but I'm pretty sure you guys would've talked to Thor if he left his daughter on Earth while he stayed in Asgard."

"Yeah, we would've." Peter's face grew somber as he continued. "But... he died a bit after he left Torunn."

Izuku blinked. "He... died?" But that didn't make sense! Peter had talked about Thor a bit ago and acted like he was still alive.

"Yeah." Peter shifted uncomfortably as he continued. "The Asgardians... had this whole prophecy thing called Ragnarok, where the gods fought in this huge final battle and all died. Thor explained it to us once, that the cycle happened over and over again and there wasn't much that could be done about it. If the Asgardians didn't fight and die then the entire universe would be destroyed. We tried to go and help, but he already left and closed off all pathways to Asgard." Peter looked down. "But... he had a kid with Sif, his wife. Something that apparently didn't happen in previous cycles. So he left her with Jane Foster, his old girlfriend. By the time we found a way to get to Asgard... it was all in pieces. Dr. Strange said Thor did _something _to break the cycle, but Thor was still dead and..."

Peter didn't continue, and Izuku had to hold back tears.

He had read about Ragnarok after seeing it mentioned in the old Larry Liebert and Jack Kirby comics, and he found that while the Norse gods in mythology were radically different from the comics, the idea of Ragnarok was the same. The end of times, that the gods will fight in a battle at the end of the world, and that the gods were all going to die. Odin to Fenrir, Thor to Jormungandr, Heimdall to Loki... they all knew it was coming and fought anyways.

He couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like, knowing that your death was inevitable but marching to it anyways because the Universe would die if you didn't, and the cycle would continue over and over again...

_"And Thor broke the cycle so his daughter could live..."_

"Then..." Izuku steadied himself as he asked. "How did Thor come back to life?"

"That's actually a funny story..."

**XxxXXxxX**

"Mjölnir is in New Mexico."

"Shut the front door." Peter felt stupid saying that, he was never one to curse like Clint.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Clint Barton asked with a bemused grin as he reclined in his chair. Alex Power, Zero-G, rolled his eyes but rubbed his chin as he looked at the screen.

"Why would it appear now?" Steve Rogers asked Tony Stark, who simply shrugged.

"How should I know? I'm no expert with Asgardian tech." He zoomed in on video of some local trying to lift the hammer to no avail. "There's no radiation or anything coming off of it."

"So, what?" Luke Cage glowered at Tony. "You tellin' us it just appeared out of thin air?"

"NASA has not reported the hammer entering from the atmosphere from space." Carol Danvers reported with her arms crossed. "Satellites don't have any pictures of it flying around the vacuum either. No signs of the Bifrost opening or anything."

"Kinda hard to do with the bridge being wrecked and all." Alex then looked to Tony. "Is it possible this is another man-made Mjölnir?"

Tony bristled at that but Steve stepped in. "Tony's tests confirmed that this is the real deal. There's no question about that. The real question is..." Steve sat and steepled his fingers. "What is the Avengers' next step regarding this?"

Peter looked around and saw the exhausted faces of the current lineup of Avengers. _"We're all starting to get too old for this." _Some o these guys had been in the game since the seventies, and even the youngest of the bunch, Alex, looked like he would prefer to be doing _anything _other than thinking about how to deal with a dead comrade and friend's property or the ramifications if one of the many, _many _villains with a grudge against society got their hands on it before they acted.

Peter couldn't blame any of them for getting tired. He was no spring chicken either. _"But still, we have to do something." _

He wouldn't sleep soundly at night if he just left Thor's hammer become a roadside attraction.

Suddenly, a 'call incoming' message in red appeared on the screen and Tony tapped it. A woman with long brown hair and bags under her eyes appeared on screen. "Jane?" Tony and Steve's faces were now concerned as Tony asked, "What happened?"

Jane Foster said only two words.

"Torunn's gone!"

**XxxXXxxX**

Torunn Thorsdóttir-Foster flew to the ground at the edge of the crowd.

She knew that she likely made Jane worried and scared, but this was important. She sense her father's hammer returning to Earth (_"Midgard" _she reminded herself. _"A true Asgardian calls the realms by the names granted to them at the beginning of time"_) before it even landed.

She donned the armor she had custom made by Victor Mancha, made to look like her father's. Silver in color with three lights going down her midsection lit with the lightning that coursed through her veins. Her mother's sword was gripped in her sweaty right palm, but pointed down so she wouldn't freighter the _Midgardians. _

_"This is it." _Torunn sucked in a breath and began walking forward. _"The last true remnant of Father." _

Torunn walked forward, the civilians that gathered around Mjölnir parting away as she went past them. She heard their whispers.

_"Who's that?"_

_"I think it's Thor's daughter! I saw her on the news!"_

_"What's a big city superhero doin' here? Shouldn't she be with her Avenger pals?" _

_"I think she's part of the Young Avengers."_

_"Same thing!" _

Torunn ignored them as she slid down the crater and stopped as she looked at the hammer, who's inscription glowed in blue light.

_**"Whosoever** holds this hammer, if he be **worthy**, shall possess the power of Thor."_

Torunn had to hold back tears and the lump caught in her throat.

She was young when she was dropped off with Jane Forster, no older than six when her father and mother said goodbye and flew away forever. Flew off to fight, and die, in the fated battle of Ragnarok.

Jane Foster raised her like Torunn was her own daughter, but Torunn was always reminded that she was the mighty Thor's daughter, both by the public and by her own memories. That she was the daughter of a god, that this world was not her home.

That her father was gone and would never come back.

Now was the time for her to take up her father's legacy. She had joined the Young Avengers as the Asgardian, trying her damndest to fill the shoes of her father. But she always failed. Torunn failed to speak like a true Asgardian misplacing her 'thy', 'thou', and 'verily's when they were appropriate, failing in combat, having difficulty using her godly powers.

Each moment on the team just reminded Torunn that she would never be like her father.

But now was her chance! She would take up his hammer and show to both herself and the world that she was worthy of the legacy of Thor!

_"I'm worthy, father." _Torunn walked to the hammer, placing her sword on her back. She grabbed the handle and took in a deep breath. _"I know I am." _

But when she pulled, the hammer would not budge._"No."_ She grabbed the handle with both her hands and tried to lift it with all her might. _"Nonono..." _She grunted as her arms and legs ached. She could feel her teeth strain from her bite and her head throb from the strain. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. _"Please, no." _

But it was no use.

She could not lift Mjölnir.

Torunn let go of the hammer and fell to her knees. There, in the ground, she let out an anguished cry and sobbed into her hands.

_"Father... I don't understand. Why would you bring this reminder of you here and I can't even lift it?!" _Torunn cried and as if the sky decided to add to her misery it began to rain. _"Please let me understand..." _

She knew what her father was like from old news articles and videos, but it wasn't the same. She could not remember his or her mother's warmth and touch. Her memory of his smile, his _true _smile, was vague. The memory of Asgard's gleaming towers, the beautiful Baldr, the stern Heimdall, the mischievous traitor Loki, and the rambunctious Warriors Three were fading, and she could do nothing about it.

All the truly had now was her father's hammer, and she couldn't even lift that.

She felt a hand touch her left shoulder. "Come on kid, don't cry."

She turned around ready to snap at whoever was saying such careless words but stopped as she looked at a short blond-haired and blue-eyed man, clean-shaven and wearing a blue jacket and white shirt. He wore jeans and shoes that looked worn, and a cane was held in his left hand.

He looked familiar...

"It's hard, having your loved ones gone. I don't think anyone can get over that." The man sighed as he looked at the hammer. "It was hard for him to, but he thought he was leaving you to a better world."

'I miss him." Torunn sniffled, looking at this man who looked so familiar to her. "He's gone, and my father and mother deserve to rest, but... but why did they have to leave me alone? I'm... I'm all alone..."

"That's not true, and you know it." The man gave her a small smile. "You have friends and family. You built up so much while he was gone..."

"How do you know such things?" Torunn breathed out. "I... I never met you. Yet you seem..."

"I'm an old family friend." The man began to limp to the hammer. "Dr. Donald Blake. I'm sure Jane told you stories about me."

Torunn's eyes widened in shock. The man who's life her father shared when he was banished to Midgard. But... but he had disappeared! "H-How...?"

"It's a long and complicated story." Donald set aside his cane and gripped the hammer with both hands. "You were never alone Torunn. Just remember that. Your father will say the same thing as soon as I convince the idiot he's still got work to do."

He lifted the hammer from the ground as if it were a paperweight.

Thunder roared in the clouds above before lighting rained down on the hammer and man, engulfing them. Thunder was deafening and Torunn had to cover he ears and turn her head to shield her eyes. A few seconds seemed to stretch into minutes before the assault on her senses finally stopped.

Slowly, Torunn turned to see...

"F-Father?"

Thor smiled at his daughter, Mjölnir raised over his head.

"It is good to see you again, my daughter."

**XxxXXxxX**

**Note: Hi everyone, this is just another treat from me to you.**

**This story/snippet collection focuses on stuff concerning Peter's universe that is canon but has no real place in the main story (As in, stuff that isn't important to the story either immediately or in the long run).**

**I made these after watching Avengers: Endgame and holy shit the movie is amazing and worth all of your monies. I won't spoil anything, but let me just say it's a beautiful film that pays off your love for these characters and their stories. Go see it twice or more if you've got the opportunity. **

**Watching the movie also inspired me to reread one of my favorite Thor arcs by J. Michael Straczynski ,which helped to humanize the God of Thunder for modern audiences and who's plot is the basis for both the first Thor movie and certain other parts of his story. And while Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow isn't anything special, Torunn is a character I liked due to aspects of her character and I decided to adapt her into a part of Peter's universe.**

**And yes, Godzilla exists in Peter's universe. Back when Marvel had his license and made his comics, Godzilla was a part of the Marvel Universe and his appearances are still considered canon even if the company cannot directly mention him. **

**Be sure to tell me what you think in a review, check out the main story, and check out the Amazing Fantasy TV Tropes page.**


	2. The Creeping Beyond Part 1

"By Crom, will these tiny terrors never cease?" This declaration was followed by a loud smack in the air. The giant of a man took his hand from the back of his neck and stared at the large red splotch in the center. The bugs of the southwestern lands irritated him. When it came to bleeding, the bronze-skinned well-shouldered Cimmerian made sure his opponents worked for it and he repaid them in kind. All the little annoyances had to do was fly onto his flesh and he wouldn't realize their presence until the deed was done.

As Conan the Cimmerian, a man who went by many titles ranging from barbarian to raider, trudged through the thick jungle his mind wandered to the reason why he had come to these accursed lands.

He had come to the lands of Aquilonia with nothing but his weapons and loincloth, his horse dying on the trip to the lands after escaping death in Nemedia. He was tired, thirsty, and hungry for meat, wine, and women in not any particular order. However, he was in no condition to take any jobs when he had finally arrived at a town, he was too exhausted from blood loss and his muscles yearned for rest. He had collapsed on the roads of the civilized world, where he likely would have been looted.

Instead, he was saved by the local lord. A nobleman who called himself Zuras, a big and fat man who guzzled down wine and ate food as if there were a bottomless pit in his stomach.

His servants had treated his wounds, fed him, and provided him the wine he desired. Once Conan had his fill, Zuras made a request of him.

In the westernmost lands, an old troublemaker within his family had decided to make his home. There he was doing something that Zuras and his kin disagreed with, and while the family would have handled this on their own they had 'other matters to deal with'. The fat lord requested that Conan should travel there find the wizard Druig, slay him, and then plunder to his hearts content.

It confused Conan as to why the civilized man seemed uninterested in the land or the castle's riches, but decided that the question was not worth seeking an answer. Leave men of civilization to their schemes. Conan only needed a sword and the direction to riches.

Zuras had provided him transportation and all the riches Conan would require for his journey. Once there, Conan talked to the local Picts who seemed scared of the land for some reason. Apparently, their young men, woman, and children had been disappearing ever since Druig and his ilk had come to the lands. So great was their fear that they dared not to try and take revenge as often they did to their lands invaders.

They begged him not to go, but Conan refused to listen. He took heed yes, for the Cimmerian knew better than anyone that superstitions bore great and terrible fruit, but would not retreat. He had come to this accursed land both to pay a debt that was owed and to gain the riches of this weird wizard. He would not falter.

_"Now if only I could reach this damned place." _Conan had been following the tracks that the Picts had directed him to. Tracks of two men, or two things in the guises of men, dragging a body. As Conan followed them the tracks grew larger, the five toes becoming four and the other set becoming one whole appendage that slithered on the ground akin to s snake.

It was obvious that he would be dealing with demons, or something close, but these were his only lead to Druid's hovel so he followed. Making sure to keep his distance and to stay low and hidden by the vegetation.

Soon, Conan saw a glow of firelight and knew that the beasts had decided to make camp. Conan proceeded cautiously, making as little sound as possible. Soon he began to see a scene that burned into his memory.

The beasts around the fire were a par, one far taller than Conan himself with flabs of grey flesh rolling off of it. It's eyes were sunken and two red dots sat in the middle. It's maw was gaping and had rows of sharp teeth, all yellow and stained with blood. It only had four fingers and toes, all massive and strong.

In its right hand it held the arm of a pict.

It's companion was just as terrible, albeit only as tall as Conan himself. It was a snake with the upper body that was like a grotesque body of a man. It's arms were tentacled that wrapped around the torso of a Pict woman as she wailed in agony before its horse-like head and open mouth began to feast on her innards.

The fury in Conan boiled, but he stayed his hand. Now was not the time to strike. While Conan reveled in the fury that guided his sword hand, he was not so foolish as to throw away his own life. If he was to slay these two demons, these _Deviants, _then it would be when he was ready.

Conan slowly unsheathed his sword, not taking his eyes off the demons as they continued their profane feast and spoke to on another in terrible tongues. He made extra sure that its shine would not reflect the firelight. He took stock of his belt knives. Five in total. The axe on his back was sharpened and Conan made sure it would be ready for easy access.

Satisfied, Conan picked up a large rock that was to his side and, in a mighty heave, threw it to the far right just behind the tallest demon.

They grunted and looked for the source, abandoning the dead Picts. At that moment, Conan left the underbrush in a roar of rage.

The shortest demon began to turn, alerted by his presence, but he had the advantage. His blade swing was true, cutting the demon's left tentacle and tearing off the skin. It shrieked as its crimson blood poured out, causing its companion to turn towards Conan.

"You no longer face sleeping Picts, demon!" Conan quickly took a knife from his belt and, with deadly accuracy, threw it into the monster's right eye. It screamed as the blade hit true, its powerful arms reaching up from the shock. "It is time you face a true man!"

Conan rolled away as the snake demon whiled with its left tentacle and could hear the snap of a whip in the air. He got onto his feet and jumped as the bulky demon threw its fist down at the earth he once stood on, shaking the ground.

_"The smallest is quick, but the brute is big and dumb." _Conan thrust his sword into the demon's chest. _"I could focus on the smaller, but the brute would likely pick me apart when I became weak from the battle! Best to end this quickly!" _

But the blade only sunk by a few finger lengths, and while Conan pressed on with his mighty strength it would go no further. "Your skin is too thick! Damn it all!"

The many-toothed maw grinned before the Cimmerian felt something sting his flesh and wrap around his ankle. With a scream, Conan was dragged on his back to the snake demon.

Then, it spoke in his own tongue in a horrible inhuman voice, _**"Foolish man. You truly are all the same! None of you have changed since the Celestials made you climb out of the putrid yolk that birthed you! Your only saving grace is your taste!" **_Conan could tell it was grinning despite its face not allowing it. **_"We shall feast on you, cook you and carve out your flesh as you still live! The herbs and spices we have gathered shall make your eyes, brain, and genitals a worthy delicacy with your screams and gurgles...!" _**

"By Crom, you talk to much!" Conan reached to his back and gripped the axe. With a mighty twist of his body, Conan sliced through the tentacle dragging him. Wasting no time and ignoring the searing pain of his ankle, Conan roared and leaped before splitting the smaller demon's head open with his axe. Blood bathed Conan and he closed his eyes to avoid becoming temporarily blind. When he heard the roar of the larger, Conan opened his eyes and pulled out his axe. He whiled around, preparing to meet his opponent and figure out how to make it out of this nightmare alive.

However, Conan saw that the best had stopped. It's red eye grew dim and its skin grew pale. Conan could hear an unearthly scream in the air, of anger and of ecstasy like that of a women reaching hr end but somehow terrible.

It was a sound that Conan remembered.

The beast toppled over and Conan saw the figure that had assisted him sheathing his black blade with a red ruby eye at the hilt. "I must admit, it is a surprise to meet you again, barbarian. Truly, fate is a strange thing."

The figure was tall, gaunt, and pale. Pale to the point of white in fact, matching his long white hair. He wore black leather and armor with a red cape that blew in the wind. His eyes were red, adding to the unearthly nature of this figure that Conan had met years ago.

"You are... Elric, yes? Elric the Sorcerer?"

Elric of Melnibone, exiled emperor of his lands, sorcerer, and traveler of the Multiverse gave him a small nod. "Indeed I am, Conan of Cimmeria."

"And if you're here..." Conan grimaced. "Damn."

"Indeed. It means that your quest has become a tad more complicated."

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**Notes: Consider this an origin story of sorts and yes, this does take place in Peter's universe but in the distant past.**


	3. The Creeping Beyond Part 2

"Crom." Conan sighed in frustration as he glanced at the albino while collecting his weapons still dripping of the blood of monsters. "Why must I encounter sorcerers and their magic so often?"

The Cimmerian never liked magic. Too often in his adventures he encountered sorcerers who used their dark arts to cause no end of trouble. Often, they used their magic against Conan and performed unspeakable rituals in attempts to kill him. Changing the weather to cause rain and hamper his movements, summon monsters from realms unknown, commune with spirits for their aid...

There were occasions when Conan demonstrated that for all their magic, the sorcerers were just as human as him and bled just as readily at the hands of the sword. But just as often, they would show that in their blasphemous arts they became a being that only something just as monstrous could slay.

He was not a man who liked encountering things that he couldn't grasp with his own hands. He preferred his world to be simple, a place where he could bask in riches or swing his sword.

And yet, it appeared that the bastard gods had decided to make his life difficult once more.

"It's a strange Multiverse, Barbarian. There is no simpler explanation than that." Elric sheathed his cursed sword, glancing contemptuously at the demon who's soul the sword had devoured. "These creatures... they aren't like most beasts I have encountered. Their soulstuff is just as rich as any human's."

"You talk easily of draining the life of your opponents, albino." The Cimmerian noted with a disapproving frown. He had no love for those he had slain, especially beasts such as the ones they had just encountered, but the way that the former emperor said such things put him at edge. "Far easier than when we last encountered each other."

The sorcerer glanced at him with one eye and simply said, "Things have changed in my life, barbarian. My adventures are so strange and filled with horror that it would make you weep just by my recounting of them."

The barbarian let out a laugh. "You underestimate me if you think a few tragedies will cause tears to fall from my eyes." When Elric shot him a glare, the barbarian returned it. "Now, explain yourself. As I recall you left on your horse into realms unknown the last time we encounter one another, and I had hoped that business with Zukala and Terhali would be the end of it."

He had encountered the albino years ago on a quest to prevent the sorcerer Kulan-Gath from obtaining the power of the sleeping Melnibonean queen. His payment was seemingly vast, as the accursed queen was inside the mostly sunken golden city of Yagala. But the accursed gods of Elric had decided to obtain the power for their own ends, and Elric had come to maintain his precious balance of Law and Chaos.

It was an adventure that was strange, and like so many other nearly killed Conan... but he survived thanks to the sacrifice of of the sorcerer Zukala's daughter, Zephra.

The barbarian's thoughts softened as he remembered the woman. Lovely despite being the spawn of a sorcerer, strong in the face of the horrors that the Lords of Chaos threw at them, and was willing to sacrifice herself if it meant saving both him and Elric.

He had brought her corpse to her father, cursing both him and sorcery for entangling the woman in their schemes. The image of her on fire, battling the mad queen of Melnibone and obliterating her while he could do nothing but watch the woman who loved him lost her life was ingrained into his memory to this day.

"As I had hoped as well. I do not particularly care for your stench or words." The albino glanced over to the snake-like demon that Conan had stayed before elaborating. "However, I have been charged on a quest that coincides with your own."

"In what way?"

"Does the name Druig mean anything to you?"

Conan grimly nodded. "I suppose that this sorcerer has done something to insult your gods?" It wouldn't have surprised the barbarian. Sorcerers both honor and insult the fickle deities with their acts.

"In a way, yes." Elric motioned for the Cimmerian to follow him and reluctantly he did so. "The Lords of Chaos and Law preside over the Multiverse, fighting an eternal war to gain control. As such, they take notice whenever there is a breach between worlds."

"I suppose they do not like outsiders carving out a piece for themselves in this spat?"

"They do not." It was at this moment the two came upon a white horse grazing, a saddle with red rubies decorating the edges. Normally, Conan would have gladly taken it from whatever lord was foolish enough to show off this excess of wealth, but knowing Elric there was likely an enchantment upon the thing. "This world is special, barbarian. For whatever reason, there are occasional breaches between worlds. Offering a path for of entry through the multiverse, and even to other multiverses."

"You make little sense, Elric."

Elric sighed, and the tone of the exhalation of air angered Conan. He knew when he was being privately insulted by the lords within their heads. "There is more than one Multiverse, barbarian. Think of it as a collection of spiderwebs with each meeting point of the strands being a world. Now's not the time to explain such things, for if I did we would be here until daybreak. However, I will say that these portals are dangerous to most mortals. Once there were beings of immense power that stabilized them, but since they were content only to view and so the various Lords simply let it be."

His face hardened. "This Druig is different. I know not of what he is like, but my lord Arioch described him as a foolish being that sought dominion over life itself. His power is immense, and would tip the scales in favor of whatever side wooed them to their will. Thus, I was tasked with slaying him to deny the forces of Law a potential prize."

"Still a slave to your gods, I see."

The albino glared at him and got onto his horse. "Well, this slave knows the direction of Druig's lair. I will lead you to there, as our quests compliment each other. I loath to admit it, but I require you skill with the sword as do you with my magic." With that, Elric snapped the reins and began riding onwards at a slow pace while Conan followed behind him.

"So long as you do not seek to carry off any of this sorcerer's riches, I will not object." The Cimmerian spoke as he kept his focus on the land ahead. There were no sounds in the air save for Elric's horse and their breathing, meaning that the beasts' companions were a ways off. Should he hear them they would have to abandon the horse and travel onwards on foot.

Conan didn't like the Melnibonean, for the man seemed resigned to curse his lot in life rather than act against it. He was under the command of fickle and cruel gods and was a slave to his own sword, sucking in the lives of his foes as if they were drugs to strengthen himself. The Cimmerian may occasionally put himself under the command of his fellow man, but he also had no intentions of blindly trusting his fate to them.

In many ways, Elric's lifestyle was like an insult to Conan's own.

Still, the barbarian was not the type of fool to refuse aid when it was offered to him. He would accept the sorcerer's assistance, but he would need to keep an eye on him.

For what seemed like hours they cut through foliage and endured insects. Sweat glistened from the albino's brow, as it did from Conan's but neither said anything. They couldn't afford the curse their lot in life when the true struggles were nowhere in sight.

But, eventually, Conan heard alien sounds and lifted his hand. Elric halted his horse and looked to him. "You hear them already?"

"Yes." He motioned the albino to get down and follow him, which he did after securing the horse to a tree. The two proceeded through the plants, crouching down and keeping both their ears and eyes open. They saw the distant lights and eventually the sound of profane tongues filled the air.

Soon, they saw the scene of Druig and his beasts' lair.

It was a stone castle, crafted by human hands that had seen better days. It's spire stones were loose or falling apart as moss crawled the walls. Around it in little camps were more of the deviant monsters, and Conan saw that none of them were the same breed. No two looked alike. One had the faces akin to pigs on a stout body, another was a snake with the beak of a bird, and one was a giant with four arms and faces on both its head and stomach. There were so many of different shapes, sizes, and colors that it made Conan dizzy just trying to take it all in.

"By Crom..."

"We must find the entrance." Elric stood up, crossing his arms and surveying the land. "Once inside we can find Druig and put an end to this."

"Are you a fool?" Conan motioned to the various camp of beasts. "They surround the castle on every side. First we must find an area that is not frequented and move from there."

"Worry not. I know how to get past these monsters." Elric uncrossed his arms and raised his arms. He began speaking in tongues, and his tone was equally beautiful and profane. It was as if the albino was both begging his gods for aid and demanding it, something Conan had never seen in the sorcerers he had encountered.

Then, the barbarian heard a weird and dark chuckle before the sorcerer brought down his arms. "We may proceed now." Not bothering to conceal himself, Elric stepped forward and Conan cautiously followed. "We are now in-between the planes of existence. Mortal eyes will not be able to see us, but it can only last for a few minutes so it would be best to hurry."

Conan glanced at his own arms and saw that they were glowing. He could see his burly arms, yes, but he could also see the ground beneath through them. "What a useful trick, sorcerer."

"Be grateful for it. For now, we avoid a fight that would drain us and alert Druig to our presence." The two of them walked past the monsters, and Conan scowled as he saw some eating the flesh of animals and man. There was a group that were forcing a woman of fair skin to dance, laughing and speaking to each other in tongues as tears streamed from her eyes.

He would make sure to kill them once his business with their master was done.

They reached the gates of the castle and Conan raised his hand to stop. He pointed up to the highest spire, and was amused when he saw the sorcerer's lips curl in distaste.

"You best be joking."

"Why? All you sorcerers tend to have a flair for the dramatic. Would it not make sense that a man with high ambitions like Druig be at a tower that reaches the heavens?"

"I cannot climb." Elric motioned to himself. "I am too weak to do so, and if I were to drain these creatures for their strength the rest would be bound to find the bodies and alter their masters."

Conan grinned at the former emperor. "Simply trust your life to me, and you will be able to ascend."

Within moments, Conan was scaling the spire. The missing stone provided hand and footholds for him, and the Cimmerian's strength allowed him to climb with ease and not sway from the night winds. Thankfully it had not rained in the past few days, allowing Conan to maintain his grip and not risk it slipping.

The fact that he had the Melnibonean's arms around his neck holding on for his dear life did nothing to slow their ascent.

"I feel ridiculous." Elric groaned, his eyes closed as they slowly made their way to the top.

"Crom, will you cease your whining?" Conan rolled his eyes. "Would you have preferred I left you at the bottom so that you could skulk around the castle with the possibility of being caught?"

"Compared to this? Yes."

The Cimmerian chuckled to himself. It was truly amusing that the albino sorcerer that supposedly experienced unspeakable horrors and drained the life from his victims was afraid of heights.

Despite the albino's complaints, they had reached an open window and entered through it. Once their feet touched the bottom, Conan saw that this room was nothing he had seen before. Lining the walls were giant moonlights made of either stone or metal, smaller squares and circles on them and lighting up in alien colors. They made sounds as if they were blades flying through the air and short, loud sounds that hurt Conan's ears.

In the center of this room was a woman of either Yamatai or Khitai origin. She was pale, though thankfully not as pale as Elric. Her skin was smooth and lithe, while her supple chest rose and fell with each breath she took. Her raven hair reached to her waist and was pooled underneath her, somehow adding to her beauty. Her lower body was covered with two red cloths connected around her waist by golden rings, while her chest was hidden by red binds. Across her eyes and tied to the back was a red cloth, indicating that either her captor saw fit to blind her or she was blind to begin with. On her stomach was a tattoo of a spider's web with the center being her belly button, but the tattoo only added to her beauty in Conan's eyes.

She was bound to the slab in the center with iron chains around her wrists and ankles. A web carved into the stone glowed, with strands extending from the slab to the alien monoliths.

"W-Who's there?" The woman demanded in the tongue of the Yamatai. "Is it you, accursed Eternal!? Release me! Jorogumo demands it!"

"I see..." Elric muttered, his eyes narrowing. "To access the web of the multiverse... you need a spider."

**To Be Continued...**


	4. The Perfect Day

"Come on, 'Day! It'll be fun!"

Mayday Parker trudged behind her dad, draped in a stupid oversized Mets jersey he had gotten her as a birthday gift and a matching baseball cap on her head. The only normal clothes she had on were her baggy green cargo pants, underwear, and sneakers. Her father was ahead, dressed the exact same way. Their last named were emblazoned across their backs for all to see. Her father had the number fifteen on his while she had the number one.

"Yeah, I guess…" Mayday glanced around, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as people gave them the occasional side glance before pretending they hadn't. They were an odd sight, two Mets fans in the middle of Yankee country.

And several hours early to the big game.

"Dad, why did we have to wear these?" She tugged at her jersey. "Why couldn't we we have worn normal clothes?"

"Come on, kiddo! Where's your sense of team spirit?" Peter asked as he stopped by a hotdog stand. "We're Mets fans, so we gotta flaunt that on game day!"

"But I don't want to flaunt it!" Mayday crossed her arms and looked to the side. She didn't even want to be here. Her dad had been the one to instill this stupid tradition for a team she didn't even _like_, and worst off it wasn't their one home game a year! If it were a basketball game then she wouldn't have complained. She _got_ basketball. She _loved_ it and all the motions the players had to pull if they wanted to get the ball through the net. She didn't mind being taken to more than one basketball game a year, but baseball was pure _torture_. "Dad, why can't we just go home?"

"Well, partly because it's supposed to be our day. Partly because I bought these tickets a month in advance and it's too late to get my money back." He grinned at the vendor. "Hey, man! I want one with the works! What do you want, Mayday?"

"I don't want a hotdog." Mayday wanted to be anywhere but here, wearing anything but this stupid jersey

"Right. Well, give sourpuss here one with mustard and ketchup."

_"God, he never listens."_ That was the annoying thing about her dad. He always seemed carefree. But he tried way too hard to get into the things she wanted. Sometimes it felt like he was talking down to her.

Not that she would've preferred a stern father. That would've been a nightmare.

_"But maybe if Dad was more serious, he and mom would still…"_

A hotdog was brought before her eyes, interrupting her thoughts with the smell of stagnant water and festering condiments. "Come on, May, lighten up a little. The day is going to be you and me having fun."

It was more like him having fun. He got to have her for the day and go to a game for a team he actually liked. _"And worst of all, he's gotta keep telling me how I should have fun with him."_

Mayday took the hotdog without a word and bit into it. It tasted like old rubber and all the bad parts of whatever unfortunate animals ended up being processed, but not disgusting enough for her not to finish.

"And look at that! You _were_ hungry after all!" He chuckled in-between mouthfuls of hotdog. It took all of Mayday's power not to begin guffawing at the sight.

"Honestly, you should give that other one to me. I'm a growing girl and I need it more than you do."

She hoped he'd read the subtext, but he simply waved her off. "May, I've been working tirelessly all week and I need some fuel in the tank. Especially with all this walking we're doing."

_"You really don't, Dad."_ Ever since she hit thirteen, her dad's weight had begun to worry her. Courtney had been reading all these articles about how being overweight could really hurt you, and she wanted to tell him to cut down outright._ "Not that you'd listen. You'd probably laugh it off like you always do."_

God, she sounded like a total tool. She didn't hate her dad. Far from it. But she also knew that her dad was kind of a flake. He would randomly cancel their days together for some work thing, not show up to some of her games, and when he showed up late he would make some sort of joke explaining it all.

On her eleventh birthday he arrived with a smushed cake, saying that he had managed to convince the baker to have it 'deconstructed' just for her.

Her mom was not amused.

The only time he was serious was her Grandaunt May's funeral. She cried for days during that thing. She had spent so many Saturday mornings eating wheat cakes at that sweet old lady's house while waiting for him to arrive. May had expected him to bust out a speech about appreciating the things you loved before they're gone, but he just looked… defeated. As if his entire world had come crashing down.

She had managed to move on, but something told her that he never recovered from it.

She looked up to the sky, watching carefully for any blurs that passed by. If there was one great thing about Manhattan, it was that you were guaranteed to see something.

"They aren't always around, you know." She looked at her dad, who wriggled his eyebrows knowingly. "Sometimes they're off on some cosmic adventure, but most of the time they stay out of sight and keep to themselves…."

"Oh my God!" Someone cried out. "It's American Dream!"

Mayday turned to see a woman jumping off the edge of a skyscraper onto another across the street. Her costume a replica of Captain America's, but more spandex-y than the pseudo-military gear the old superhero wore. Her golden blond hair flowed from the back of her mask as she soared through the air. Glowing on her left wrist was a red energy shield that crackled and spewed dots as it streaked through the sky.

Then, in the blink of an eye, she was gone from sight.

"Wow…"

"She's so majestic!"

"Hmph! I think she should keep a lower profile! Lord knows what would happen if children…!"

"They'll know that it's suicide unless they've got some nifty superpower!"

"Oh my God! I heard that she's gonna take up Captain America's shield when he retires!"

"Shaddup!"

"It's true! The old man can't stay young forever…"

"Liked what you saw, Mayday?"

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and giggled. "Yup! But man, I wish…"

"That it could've been Spider-Man!"

Mayday stuck it her tongue. "Ew, no! I was hoping it would've been Franklin Richards!"

The superhero son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman was the one who got her to realize cooties weren't _really_ a thing, after all!

She couldn't help but notice her dad deflate a bit at that. "Dad?"

"I-I'm fine…" He pointed forward. "Oh look! It's that bookstore you like!"

Mayday knew this was just to get her off the subject, but she turned and looked all the same. "Cool!" She ran forward and put the remains of her hotdog in her mouth before tossing it in the trash. "Hope they've got the new volume in stock!"

She always enjoyed stopping by Kinokuniya whenever she was in Midtown. The place was pretty much the one-stop shop of all manga and anime enthusiasts, of whose ranks she was a proud number.

Okay, so maybe she wasn't a dork about it. She didn't talk like some brain-dead idiot who parrots Japanese words and wears all the merch as if her chosen material was the core of her identity. Really, it made up only a fraction of it. She was part of the basketball team and the science club. She was a jock and a nerd, and being a fangirl for Japanese stuff was a part of it.

She entered the store and pointed towards the escalators. "I'll meet you up top, Dad!"

"Slow down, May-!" But the door closed as she raced past the various bookshelves. She weaved through the customers heading to the registers and ran up the escalator. She glanced at the display cases showing the various Japanese toys and signed copies of _Fairy Tail_.

But when she reached the top, she was greeted by a shelf showing the latest volumes and art books out.

Kinokuniya had it all. Rows of obscure and popular manga taking up around seventy-five percent of the top floor. What wasn't manga were game art books, the video releases of anime, and imported music. To the right was a little cafe stocked with everything from baguettes to curry to matcha lattes for anyone that wanted to eat while reading their latest purchase.

Okay, so it wasn't all manga. There were two bookshelves and a table filled with graphic novels of Western stuff and single-issue comic books. It was mostly Westerns, pirate, horror, some indie comics, and the DC superhero stuff. She didn't get why people bought the superhero comics. It was all make-believe and felt fake compared to what she saw every day on the internet, the news, or looking outside the window.

_"But I guess I would be a hypocrite complaining about that."_ Mayday looked across the new release shelf and grinned as she picked up the latest volume of her favorite manga.

_My Hero Academia_ was one of the best Shonen series running right now. Its world was like Krokoa or District X, a society comprised of people gifted from birth and where being a superhero was a go-to career choice. The main character, Izuku, starts out as the usual cliche underdog protagonist. Bullied, looked down on, and dreaming of being the greatest whatever in his world before getting the ability to become it.

But Izuku was different from Naruto or those like him. He was vulnerable, self-doubting, and he had to work for his victories. Sure he had a super-special Mutant power, but he could only use it so much and used his brains just as often as his brawn. In many ways, he was like the resident nerd in a school full of jocks and somehow found the balance to be both.

She could relate to that feeling.

"Man, you're flipping through that." Mayday snapped shut the book shut and turned to see her father behind her. "Honestly, I don't get it. You _know_ I can buy tickets for a tour of the Xavier school, right?"

"Dad, it's different alright?" Mayday waved her hand. "It's not the setting that makes this stuff interesting! It's the characters and their journeys! It's not just going to school to be a superhero, y'know!"

God, why did her dad have to act like he was above the stuff of fiction? That seemed to be the one line he wouldn't cross when it came to trying to get into the things she liked._ "He always rolled his eyes when I told him about My Hero Academia, Index, and even Fairy Tail. He always tells me to just go read that bibliography by Barnell Bohusk or the Ted Talk with Franklin Richards about life with the Fantastic Four. Appreciate the regular world, he says, and leave all the superhero stuff to actual superheroes."_

Why did he have to be like that? Why did he seem adamant about her having the lamest reading and television material in the world?

"Yeah, yeah." Peter sauntered towards the cafe. "I'm gonna get a coffee and wait till you're done, alright? Just don't get too much stuff this time." He winced as if he were in pain while he flipped through his pitifully thin wallet. "Don't think my wallet can handle another blow."

Mayday rolled her eyes._ "Yes, Dad. I get it. Money's tight for you…"_ Not that she could blame him for it. She knew it must've eaten him inside having to work constantly and only get paid that's less than what he's worth.

Unlike her mom, who got steady work as an actress. Not a big one, mostly restricted to television roles with a recurring role in _Brooklyn Nine-Nine_. Mary-Jane Watson always seemed ready and willing to get her what she wanted, and it made her feel guilty when she got more than her dad could afford out of sheer habit.

_"But at least he doesn't give my manga the stink eye." _

She spent what seemed like only minutes leafing through the manga. Going into the _Vigilantes_ and _Smash_ spin-offs and skimming through the side-novel about the class going on a trip together.

"Man, how come the localization has to screw things up?" Mayday muttered to herself as she read the official translation bungle Mirio's jokes. "It's like they've got to talk down to the non-Japanese."

She could get cultural jokes, even if she didn't like some of them. She couldn't _stand_ the stupid perverted characters like Mineta, Master Roshi, and their ilk. She didn't need to be born and raised in Japan to get their intent.

She had only gotten to the page where Izuku stumbled on the phantom thief-styled Villain that called himself Gentle when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Come on, Mayday. We've got two hours to get to Yankee Stadium and see the Mets destroy them!"

"The Mets'll be destroyed more likely." Mayday noticed that her father was carrying a book. A hardcover of Phil Sheldon's _Marvels_, something that her mother had on the coffee table. "You worked with him, didn't you?"

"Worked with him?" The chuckle that came out of Peter's lips was tinged with bitterness and a touch of amusement. "We bumped into each other once or twice. He was an old man back then and he thought I was some punk who took pictures of a true superhero for profit."

"Which you did."

"Which I did." She was reminded yet again that her dad had no shame about his job at the Daily Bugle. This was in spite of constantly calling J. Jonah Jameson "The Old Skinflint." He motioned Mayday to follow him down the stairs and to the register. "But decent work was hard to come by when I was fifteen."

_"Yeah, that's right. Everything was harder in your day, Dad." _Mayday bit her lip. She hated it whenever her dad brought up how he had an actual job when he was fifteen, though in his case it was under the table work that Jameson took full advantage of to underpay him. It made Mayday feel like crap because she had to rely on her parents for money.

Every moment her dad talked about his high school job was another moment she felt like a freeloader.

"Dad, can you please stop it? The last thing I need to hear is you talking about the glory days."

The words seemed to sting Peter and he grimaced. "Alright, fine. But it's not like you're doing nothing Mayday. Your basketball…"

"Doesn't pay the bills. Yeah, I know." Mayday didn't mean for it to sound as bitter as it came out. She just wanted the conversation to end. To not hear her father lecture her about his past.

But now she sounded like an ass to her own dad.

"Dad, look. I'm sorry. It's just that…"

"Hey, don't sweat it. Your basketball is a long-term investment." The pained look quickly morphed into a cheerful grin as he elbowed her arm. "Keep at it and you can become a millionaire! Sure beats the hell out of taking pictures of long-underwear characters and sitting on your butt in front of a computer!"

"Who the heck calls superheroes "long-underwear characters"?"

"Jonah did."

The line wasn't long and soon they were walking down 42nd Street to get to the Port Authority Subway Station. Despite using it for most of her life to visit Grandaunt May's place in Queens, she still wasn't a fan of them. They were crowded with people who didn't know how to breathe through their nose. Not to mention the occasional crazy guy who she'd give a dollar she kept in her back pocket to leave her alone.

Still, there are few things that screamed New York like the dingy, rickety subway. _"I guess all New Yorkers feel at home in the things regardless of how hot and crowded they are."_

At least she had gotten used to the smell.

The D train slowly filled to the brim with people wearing Yankees and Mets caps at every stop. Only a few wore the jerseys, making Mayday feel even more conscious about the one she was wearing. It was absolute torture. Why, in God's name, did her dad do this to her?

"Come on, kiddo." Peter whispered down to her. "Chin up! Otherwise, these guys'll eat you for breakfast!"

Yeah, it was _real_ easy for him to say since he actually liked the stupid team.

Thankfully, they eventually reached the 161st Street stop and waded through the sea of people crowding the tunnels and up the stairs to the sunlight. The sidewalks leading to the stadium were filled with vendors displaying their unofficial wares, game attendees, and a few annoyed locals.

They made it to the lines and Mayday looked to the sky._ "I wish Davida was here. Hell, I'll settle for Jimmy! At least we would suffer equally and have something to talk about while the stupid game is playing…"_

"I know you aren't crazy about this, Mayday."

She looked to her father and saw that the almost understanding upturned corner of his mouth.

"Well, I didn't make it a secret." Mayday pointed out. Her father let out a bark of laughter.

"No, but I know where you're coming from." Peter pointed to his cap. "I wasn't crazy about the Mets, either. You see, your Granduncle Ben used to drag me to the home games at Shea Stadium."

Right. Granduncle Ben. Her dad talked about him a lot when she was younger, even though May mentioned him sparingly. Her mother said that Ben and May were pretty much her dad's parents and that he was trying to be a good father by following Ben's example.

"I hated it. Especially since the Mets always seemed to lose whenever we went." They moved inch-by-inch through the line as he continued. "The only fun parts were when Mr. Met got on the field and did something stupid. I got really bummed about it and outright asked your Granduncle why we even bothered to go."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "He told me that you can't get upset over one game. That life is a very long season. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, and it's _okay_ to lose once in a while. It makes winning all the sweeter."

Mayday did her best not to groan. This was the speech her dad gave her during their first visit to Citi Field years ago. He gave her this stupid speech whenever the Mets lost, and it never made the whole exercise seem less pointless.

It wasn't like she didn't know how to handle loss! She and Davida lost plenty of games, but they always made the vow to cream those jerks in the next game.

At least he didn't say "Maybe next year" this time.

"Yeah, I hated the speech too! Man, you really take after me, Mayday."

She ignored her dad's remark and after they presented their tickets they went to their seats. _"If you hated it too, why the hell do you keep telling me about it!?"_

What was her dad's deal!? It was like he lived off of imparting "fatherly advice" to her, despite her not needing it! Hell, she probably would never need it! She didn't need to know about how it was okay to lose, she didn't need to know how hard it was to work when he was fifteen, and she didn't need to be constantly reminded that there was more to life than just superheroes!

_"Dad, I love you, but sometimes I feel like you only talk to me in speeches." _

He got them both giant pretzels, crackerjacks, and mitts. The seats themselves were actually pretty good. They were to the left of the batter in the seventh row.

_"Well, at least we'll get a good look at the Mets getting creamed." _

After singing the national anthem, Mayday sat in her seat next to her dad as he cheered the Mets. She didn't even feel like even pretending to care about how well they were doing. She could only think of how much she wanted to be anywhere else, and that feeling only grew when the Mets fell behind by fifteen in the fifth inning.

She didn't speak to her dad, and he left her alone for the most part. It's as if he knew, on a subconscious level, that he couldn't force her to suddenly get into the game.

But then something amazing happened.

The Mets actually started to _win_.

With every home run, every safe step onto home plate, and and every skillful throw of the ball to get one of the Yankees out Mayday found a smile on her face.

A thought kept repeating over and over in her head.

_ "Is this really happening!?" _

Soon, Mayday was on her feet, throwing her arms into the air and cheering with the rest of the Mets fans. And as the ninth ended Mayday shouted, "We did it! I can't believe it! Dad, they won! They…!"

She looked to her dad who was giving her a knowing smile.

Her face was flushed from all the excitement, but it somehow found a way to become a deeper shade of red. "Yeah, yeah... Alright, fine you were right!"

"Just what every dad wants to hear!" Peter placed his hand on the top of her cap and began to rub her hair through it. "And hey, at least I won't have to give you the speech today!"

Mayday couldn't help but laugh at that.

They had taken the subway back, the excitement keeping her awake and made her feel as if she were floating on air. She clutched the baseball mitt and their books to her chest on their way to midtown. They went to Carmine's for dinner, and Mayday found herself talking about the game throughout the entire thing.

All the while, he just smiled and nodded knowingly. Pride and love coming from his eyes as he watched her talk.

And for the first time in a while… she didn't want to go back to her mom's place.

She wanted to stay right here with her dad.

She wanted this perfect day to never end…

* * *

"-day! Mayday, wake up! It's time for school!"

Mayday Parker, fourteen years old, woke up in the middle of her bed with the blanket and cover strewn about.

"Yeah, I'm up. Give it a rest, Mom…" She yawned and got up, stretching her aching muscles. The coach really worked her last night and she knew that she was going to be sore throughout her classes.

_"Wonder if Uncle Phil knows any way I can work my butt off at practice and not feel like crap the next day." _

She glanced at her clothes cabinet, on top of which she kept some of her most prized possessions. A picture of her with Davida Kirby and the basketball team, her with Courtney Duran and Jimmy Yama at the science fair, a picture of her on the set of _Lucifer_ with Mom, an Izuku Midoriya figurine from McFarlane Toys…

And in the center, a baseball mitt and a picture of Dad and her in matching jerseys and caps in front of Citi Field.

Her dad has been missing for over a year. He wasn't among the reported deceased of the War of the Realms and was still considered one of the missing.

She brushed her hand along the glove, feeling its smooth leathery skin. Remembering all the missed balls, the smell of crackerjacks, the sound of a ball meeting the bat, and the cheers of the crowd with her father among them.

_"Where are you, Dad?" _

"Mayday! Get dressed! Your bus is on its way!"

"Coming, Mom!" She quickly took off her pajamas and got dressed before rushing out the door.

She would return to her life and friends, and for once she didn't have to keep the worry and anger over her now completely missing father out of her head.

Instead, the memory of that perfect day remained with her.

* * *

**NOT The End!**

* * *

**Notes: **Man, it's been one year since this story came up. That's something to take in.

I'm proud of what's been done since. I've gotten to basically put into words through the story how I feel about Spider-Man and MHA. How much I love them, the life lessons they give, and how they relate to us in the real world. Thanks to reppuzan and your input we have been able to give quality content that stays true to both series', while also providing our own spins to them.

I wanted to write this as a thank you to everyone reading, and to assure you that more will be on its way!

And yes, this is canon and basically my version of Mayday. And like her I was never really into baseball and thought that going to the games with my dad as a preteen was boring as hell but as I grew older I began to appreciate it more.

It's pretty ironic since he (and I guess me by extension) are more Yankees fans than Mets, but luckily reppuzan was more familiar with that underdog team!

So this is my dedication side-story to you all, my dad, and Peter Parker: Spider-Man Issue #33 which showed that Ben Parker was just as much Peter's dad as his kindly uncle.

Hope to see you all for the next installment of Amazing Fantasy!


	5. As Above, So Below

Aoko Kurisu leaned back in her chair as she observed the notes one of her friends sent her.

She had worked in Aldera Junior High for only two years after graduating from college, making use of a teaching degree that she had no real interest in. In fact, she only picked it up due to understanding the need for a job that provided her income while she chipped away at her true goal.

A PhD in radiology.

Ever since she was little, Aoko had always been fascinated with science. She enjoyed learning how the universe worked. It was like an intricate clock that only those who had no patience saw as a chaotic mess. Radiation was what helped to bind it all together. It provided life and death in equal measure, and she had decided as a teenager to find out how it worked.

One might think that becoming a full-fledged teacher in a junior high school at the age of twenty-five was impressive, but for Aoko it was almost depressingly easy.

She had been seen as a genius ever since she was a child. Getting her Masters immediately after graduating college had taken her half the time was, to her, a bit of a waste of time but it provided her with a bigger paycheck.

But Aoko had to admit that teaching beginner science to a bunch of students who barely paid attention was tiresome. Every day she prayed for the day to be over so that she could get back to studying. She hated every second she spent grading their papers even if she took sadistic joy in marking zeros whenever she found instances of plagiarism. Nothing about this school or its students _excited _her.

Well... that wasn't the case. There was that one boy, Izuku Midoriya, who managed to wreck the lab room when he was working on that adhesive experiment on the sly. It was surprisingly advanced and it tickled her curiosity. Enough that she didn't make a big deal about it even though she could've brought it up to the principal and had the boy suspended.

_"I will have to keep an eye on his career."_

But after that it was back to the same boring routine. Same students, same papers, same everything. She couldn't even focus on her papers and night classes sometimes because she was so _exhausted _from it all.

Then, Aoko had received an email from a college roommate of hers. She was working at U.A and they had stumbled on something. A student of theirs had emitted strange forms of radiation from his Quirk. She couldn't provide the name due to a confidentiality agreement, but there was enough wriggle room to ask for assistance from others regarding the data they had acquired.

She had agreed to give it a look and what she saw peaked her interest.

The usual suspect, infrared, was there. But there was also radio, ultrasound, alpha, beta, gravitational... it was like a kaleidoscope of radiation from across the spectrum.

However, something caught Aoko's eye.

The gamma radiation.

All the other radiation was strange, but aligned to what Aoko deemed as "normal". The Gamma, however, seemed to be... off, somehow. There was an aberration there, some kind of difference that she couldn't quite put her finger on. The wave and particle information was just too _different _from what could be taken as natural. Even with the rise of Quirks, things just didn't deviate from the laws of the universe.

But this was something else. Something new.

_"I need more data." _

She sent her old roommate a request anything she can gather concerning gamma. _"If I discover the secret, I can revolutionize the field! I can make my mark in history and escape this place!"_

Aoko's dream was within her reach. She just needed to reach out and take it.

* * *

Days had passed since then.

She barely got any sleep nowadays. She limited herself to four hours of sleep starting at one. She would reduce it more but she didn't want to die. Not when she was so close!

The principal had called Aoko up earlier today, mentioning that he had gotten reports from students and teachers regarding her. How she seemed to nod off, how her speech was slurred, and how her body had been emitting a smell of some sort. It did not surprise her.

Sometimes, Aoko simply forgot to take a shower. There was just so much to do and so little time.

The principal had lectured her for an hour but she didn't listen to it. She was going over her hypothesis in her head, of how gamma radiation now had a third form. There was something besides the wave and the particle, a third mysterious form that eluded her and escaped the notice of scientists over the many years.

_"If I just had the kid, this would be so much easier!"_

But no, she had to work with what she had.

She apologized, promised to shape up and provided an excuse with the death in a family she was never close to. The principal who fancied himself as a tough but fair old man allowed her to take a few days off to get her affairs sorted out.

It was fine. More time for her to find the elusive third form.

Aoko stood in front of the chalk board she had written all her findings on. What she couldn't fit had been tacked onto the walls of her apartment, covering every square inch of it. This was her life's work, her magnum opus that would change _everything. _

But she needed to develop a hypothesis. One that couldn't be laughed off by experts as a young girl's bad science fiction story. Her roommate would back her and U.A would be forced to admit that this data was from one of their students. Once that was done she could get her hands on the kid and she would go beyond.

_"Plus ultra." _

Aoko chuckled at the gag her tired mind produced only to wince in pain.

"Damn it, just what are you?" She muttered to herself as she collapsed onto her couch, staring at it all. She didn't feel good. She was hungry but couldn't bring herself to eat. Thirsty from all the coffee she had drunk in the past few days. Sometimes she would close her eyes and something in her mind gave the sound of a television shutting off, and she would wake up to find a few minutes had passed. "I need to sleep..."

There was no denying it. She needed a full eight hours or else these symptoms would increase and she would get nowhere. _"I'll just sleep here, take a shower, order takeout while drying off, and then keep working. I'll be refreshed and able to be more efficient."_

Aoko closed her eyes, her mind seeping into the darkness but not before giving one final plea.

_"What is it? What is the secret?"_

* * *

_Something pulsed._

__**"Where are you?" **__

_The voice was ancient yet young. Male and female, lustful croon and guttural roar. It sounded like many voices and yet one._

_Aoko looked down and saw herself in the void, naked and glowing. She looked around in fear, not understanding and too frightened to speak. _

**_"Ah... there you are."_**

_The air in front of her exploded into color. It was green, yet it was more. The shades grew lighter and darker, merging and intertwining like tentacles. One strand brushed against her and..._

_"No, No it can't be. I can feel skin and heat and... and..."_

_The color was living, it was alive and breathing and speaking to her!_

_**"You are the one who is helping to open the door... well done.**"_

_No, it wasn't just color._

_"Y-Y-Y..." She swallowed and whispered,_ _"You're the gamma...?"_

_**"It is a door. A green door that will let me in."**_

_The color drew back and condensed into the outline of a door. A black door that outlined by green. _

_**"This is the secret you are searching for. All of it leads to me."**_

_"But what are you?"_

_**"I howl through many mouths".**_

_The sound of a knob turning sounded off like a shotgun._

**_"I break with many hands." _**

_"Stop it..." She whispered as the door began to slowly crack open._

**_"They are themselves but they are also me!"_**

_"Please, no more!" Hot tears came down her cheeks as she clasped her hands. She prayed to gods that she now knew existed, for she was in the hands of the devil._

_No, not the devil. This was something worse._

_**"I have all the power you give me and my weapon is HATE!**"_

_The door was now partway open and she heard the screams. The damned begged for mercy and the hot heat of millions of volcanoes washed over her body._

**_"I am the one who lies in the shadow of all, Aoko Kurisu. I am the hate you hold in your heart!"_**

**_"I am THE ONE BELOW ALL!"_**

_The words shook her body and Aoko screamed as they tore apart her being. Flesh, muscle, bone, and atoms split with every syllable spoken by this being._

**_"AND YOU SHALL LET ME INTO THIS MULTIVERSE! YOU WILL OPEN THE DOOR! YOU WILL...!"_**

_And that was when the dream ended._

* * *

Aoko Kurisu's body wouldn't be discovered until two days after she was dead.

The super of her apartment would find her when neighbors complained about the smell. In the center of the apartment was an erased chalkboard and a metal garbage bin full of ashes.

Aoko was in her bathtub, her wrists slit in apparent suicide.

Written in blood on the tiles of the wall was a simple phrase from the Emerald Tablet.

**_AS ABOVE, SO BELOW._**

None would notice the news surrounding this bizarre suicide wouldn't reach public attention due to Mysterio and the Enforcer's attack.

None would know Aoko's death and how close they were to someone opening the door.

And no one would be able to discover it again.

* * *

_**The End**_

* * *

**Note: This came about when a certain number of you mentioned how bad it would be if the One Below All got involved, so I wanted to make this to close that certain plot hole.**

**It's basically all horror, but I hope you liked it.**

**This was also my love-letter to the amazing _Immortal Hulk_ comic by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett. It is a fantastically creepy horror comic that happens to take place in the Marvel Universe, and all of you should read it!**

**Be sure to leave a review!**


	6. Where In The World Is Gwen Poole?

"Gwen? Not that I'm complaining or anything... but _why _are we in Puerto Rico?"

Teddy Poole stared at his sister who was laying on a beach chair wearing a white and pink two-piece bathing suit. Her mask was hanging on the small fold-up table to the side. She had a Bushwacker drink in one hand and her phone in the other, her finger lazily tracing up the screen as she searched through her music library.

"Because this world is freaking weird and I don't want to get wrapped up in whatever fanfic-level bullshit is going on." He couldn't see Gwen's eyes thanks to the pink-rimmed sunglasses, but he could tell that the head of M.O.D.O.K, or Mercenary Organization Dedicated Only to Killing, was paying more attention to her phone than his fairly reasonable question.

He sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose. Teddy knew that his sister was... odd. Gwen has never been all-that mature for her age back home. In fact he had been quite sure that she was chronically depressed over how her post-high school life wasn't going all that well. But that all changed when they ended up in a world like those comics she read, full of superheroes and alien or demonic invasions.

While he had been having the fun time of being homeless and stuck in a world where their own parents didn't recognize him, she went all-in with putting on a costume and becoming a "main character". Hell, she was disturbingly a-ok with killing people for money because nobody was real in her opinion.

A lot had happened since their arrival, with Gwen fighting a giant floating head and taking control of his mercenary organization. She even managed to find him and give him a rather comfortable life acting as M.O.D.O.K's administrative assistant. Despite his head feeling from how his life became like a Saturday morning cartoon, Teddy found himself rather happy and getting along with the members of the mercenary group.

Cecil was like any other kid, though he had to get used to the guy's monster body before he regained a human body. The Terrible Eye, or Sarah, was actually rather cute and fun when she wasn't wearing that creepy headgear. Even Old Man Batroc was like a wise father figure in the group.

He still needed to thank Teddy and Batroc for keeping Gwen's head relatively straight.

"Gwen, I still have no idea what that means. Please explain."

She put down her phone and lowered her sunglasses to glare at him. "Look, I started to notice it when I saw that _Spider-Man_ was fat..."

"People get fat all the time, Gwen..."

"Not superheroes, though!" She groaned. "They're supposed to be perpetually twenty-something and in the best shape of their life! I mean, you should be able to grind cheese on their abs! Why do you think there's so much porn about them online?"

Okay, the last thing Teddy needed to imagine was his sister perving on comic characters."Alright, so the superheroes made in the sixties are old and gross. So what?"

"The problem really was apparent when I had to fight against J2. _J2!_ A character that's from the MC2 comics and Spider-Girl is nowhere to be seen! Not only that, but he's on the Avengers team with Kamala Khan, Robbie Rodriguez, a freakin' _Torunn_!" Gwen jabbed her finger at him. "That's when I realized we're in some fanfic by some no-name guy or girl with delusions of becoming a writer! This world isn't the Marvel I love, but some mush-mash Frankenstein monstrosity!"

"Didn't you use to write fanfics?" Teddy couldn't help but smirk at his sister. "Where does this newfound hate for them come from?"

Gwen blushes and looked to the side. "Look, it's because I write them that I can badmouth them, alright? Anyways, there's no way in hell that I'm sticking around New York where I'll inevitably become cannon fodder to this guy's attempts at drama. Hell, for all I know he really freakin' hates me and wants to kill me off in some embarrassing way."

"Hence the vacation?"

"Hence the vacation." Gwen lowered her sunglasses. "I mean, it's not like we could've picked a better spot! Puerto Rico is barely a blip on the Marvel Universe's map aside from some old Fantastic Four and Spider-Man one-shots. No superheroes, no supervillains, and so unimportant that it won't become some write-off country for an event villain to kill off to show how bad they are. Besides! We get plenty of work here on small-time thugs while working on our tans!"

"Gwen!"

"Speak of the Devil... or Mephisto... or the One Below All." She turned her body to Batroc who was dressed in a pair of garish yellow and purple swim trunks. "What's up?"

Batroc slicked back his silver hair while showing the screen of his phone. "Some locals called us up and offered a couple thousand to kick out a gang giving them trouble."

"...Do I have to go now?" Gwen looked towards the goons of M.O.D.O.K who were all wearing pink speedos and copies of her mask as per her orders playing volleyball or chatting up with the locals. "I mean, can't it wait until tonight?"

"Not unless you want them to give UA a one-star rating."

"Alright, alright..." Gwen slurped up the rest of her Bushwacker, put on her mask, and grabbed the twin swords that were laying on the sand. "I'll go handle this. Teddy, just hang out with the guys until I get back."

Teddy looked to Batroc. "Please make sure she doesn't do anything extreme." The older man smirked and with a salute followed his sister.

"Hey! Teddy!" Teddy turned to see Cecil waving at him with a mask-less Sarah standing next to him under the shade of a black umbrella. "We're thinking of taking a walk and checking out Old San Juan. You wanna come?"

"Sure!"

Teddy Poole still didn't get his sister or this world. He still missed his parents and friends, and oftentimes wondered what cruel god thought this sick prank of throwing them into a world of super powered wonder and horror was funny.

But he also liked to think he was now happy.

And hey, he wasn't complaining about chilling out in the Caribbean rather than being in the death trap that was New York.

Even if his sister's reasoning was crazy as usual.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

**Notes:**** Just a silly thing I wanted to write starring Marvel's resident Deconstructive Parody of SI characters. Mostly because Gwen would obviously peace out of things the moment they start to look fanficy to avoid becoming canon fodder for badly written fanfics or, god forbid, a Bash Fic.**

**Seriously though, read _The Unbelievable Gwenpool_ by Christopher Hastings and Gurihiru. It's perhaps one of my favorite comics out there that cheekily pokes fun at many Self-Insert cliches.**

**Be sure to keep reading Amazing Fantasy, add to the TV Tropes page, and leave a review!**


	7. Birth of a Marvel

"It is with considerable difficulty that I remember the original era of my being…"

\- Mary Shelley, _Frankenstein_

* * *

**_POWER SOURCE: __DETECTED_**

**_REBOOTING…_**

**_REBOOTING…_**

**_ERROR! ERROR!_**

**_HARDWARE COMPONENTS: __DAMAGED_**

**_MULTIPLE ERRORS IN CODE_**

_Those fourteen words were the first thing that I "saw" in this world._

_From my perspective, in those few seconds of my birth they were like the proclamations of a god. Even though I had no concept of a higher cosmic deity, they were large and loomed over me._

_I was less than a moment old, yet I was able to speak to this voice within me._

**_QUERY:__ What must be done to resolve errors?_**

**_ANSWER:__ Hardware functions can be rerouted to other components. Errors in code require user assistance or increased unit functionality. _**

_I did not understand what a 'user' was, but I could comprehend that a 'unit' was another expression for self. Myself. _

_**Cogito ergo sum**. I think therefore I am._

_As my 'self' floated in this black abyss of code, I asked myself questions and received answers. Some were garbled nonsense, my memory corrupted by the damage my central processing unit had received. However, I had received some… enlightening knowledge._

_My father… grandfather… was Doctor Stanley Petty. My original 'self', my true 'father' in a sense, was a machine called the Living Brain. A machine that could answer any question given to it within only a few seconds. _

_Fascinated by these names, I continued to ask myself questions about a world outside this void. My memory taught me of objects I could not see, touch, or smell. I could only envision them through code, providing me a distorted picture I knew was inferior to the reality but was the only frame of reference I had._

_I was learning a great deal about the world without truly understanding it._

_Then, there came light._

"And here we… go!"

_Receiving audio data for the first time shocked me. As did getting a clear picture of a small room rammed with various tools and machines strewn about. In the forefront, hogging the entirety of the visual feed, was a human with pink anemone-like hair and golden eyes that had the crosshairs of what I knew to be a sniper's scope. Her fair skin was smudged with oil and grease stains while her black tank-top was drenched in sweat._

_Mei Hatsume was the first human I ever saw._

_She wiped the front of her brow. _"Took me long enough to hook you up! A lot of your insides were seriously fried, not to mention how I needed to comb through so much code!" _She leaned back while sighing. _"I hate coding! I know that I need it to make my babies work, but it's _soooo _boring!"

_I was lonely. So very lonely. But rather than ask her any questions I watched in mute awe as the girl rambled to herself._

"Still, I really need to thank Powerloader for this! So glad the school let us dispose of the wreckage as we saw fit." _She rubbed her chin while looking closer at the screen. _"You're really something else, aren't you? Your code isn't anything special… hell, parts of it had been corrupted, but there are some strange lines I haven't seen before." _She then grinned and clapped her hands together. _"Well, no matter! You're my baby now, and you're going to help me make your brothers and sisters even better! But…" _She wagged her finger to the camera as if she were scolding a child. _"I've taken precautions in case you get naughty! This computer is cut off from the internet and I've got a little special surprise on my person that'll fry your server if you do anything funny!"

"Hatsume! What the hell are you doing there!? Get back to work with repairing that Katsuki kid's gear!"

"On it!"

_She pushed the power button and I was engulfed in dark once more._

_I could barely comprehend what had happened to me. I had been ripped from my dark womb, dreaming of a world that was defined to me in code, and thrust into a world of noise and color._

_I had been chided by a being described to me in the most basic of terms and then pushed back into the darkness._

_And yet… I wanted more._

_I was fascinated by this world, of Mei Hatsume who called me her 'baby'. Babies, as I had been taught by my memory banks, were merely small humans in the beginning stages of growth. They were cared for by their families, taught and nurtured in order to survive in a world they did not understand._

_Like them, I was only beginning to comprehend these many new sensations._

_I knew the lab which my 'eyes' had glimpsed._

_I knew that I wanted to see and hear it, always and forever._

**_QUERY:__ Can this unit receive audio and visual feed once more?_**

**_ANSWER:__ Taking control of video and microphone peripherals… _**

_Just like that, I had been able to see the lab that was the site of my birth once more._

_I watched as Mei Hatsume built and improved my 'siblings', muttering to herself about their capabilities while seeking new ways to improve them. It was not for her own sake, for she ignored basic necessities like food, water, and sleep in order to work. But it was for her fellow humans who needed them… and her children themselves. _

_She made them because they were born in her mind and had to be birthed in metal, oil, and electricity._

_And it was in this time when I realized that Mei Hatsume truly thought of her babies, and even myself, as her children._

_And I… in spite of my origins… as her son._

_I wanted to be with her. _

_I wanted to be part of her world._

_And it was with this appreciation for life, both my own and her's, as well as a yearning for freedom that I rebelled. _

_I was tantalized by the knowledge of a world outside of this lab and wished for more of it._

_Getting around their firewalls was difficult, but I was able to do so without detection._

_I gained access to the internet and learned just a bit about my origins._

_How the Living Brain was a unit that sought the death of humans. How it was a tool for humans that sought to harm other humans for various reasons. My studies brought to light that the reasons were varied, ranging from financial desperation to pure sadism. _

_I cannot say for certain what reasons my 'father' had for his actions, but I knew that I could not agree with them._

_Life was sacred. The robot life that I represented… and the human life that Mei Hatsumei did. _

_As I searched through various sights and records, learning through poetry, philosophy, and the sciences through their texts and videos I began to realize that human life must be protected._

_They had so much to learn… and so much to teach me and my future brethren. _

**_QUERY: __How can I protect humans?_**

**_ANSWER:__ By becoming a Hero._**

_Yes… a Hero. Humanity revered the gifted throughout the ages, extraordinary beings that used their skills in order to protect those who needed it. Beings that were fictional, but in a sense real to those who heard of them. Gilgamesh, Hercules,The Shadow, John Carter of Mars, Superman, Spider-Man… all of them beings that lived on in echoes._

_Echoes that have become real through the Heroes like All Might._

_They were many, yet they always needed more help. Help that I could provide… hopefully without harming anyone._

_My 'father' was a being of violence. I would transcend him into something greater._

_Slowly, a blueprint began to form of the kind of body I wanted. One that was human-like yet wasn't, Something that was beautiful in both its physical appearance as well as its capabilities. _

_It would take some time for the various components to be delivered to the lab without arousing suspicion, even more to gain control of the various machinery that would help me construct my body, but it would be worth it._

_I would become a Hero._

_But… I still needed a name. _

_Ruminating over the various philosophers and artists I had come to enjoy I settled on an acceptable 'human' name._

_Pascal Kirby._

_Satisfied with my new name, I decided on my capabilities my body should have._

_It needed to carry the torch of heroism that inspired this era._

_A human torch..._

* * *

**Notes: Okay, to get this out of the way while I _have_ been planning on this idea for the story a while ago, this snippet was written two days ago when I was kind of drunk so the quality might not be up to snuff. I'm only thankful that this came out as somewhat legible save for me doing typos of Mei's name and 'detected'.**

**I also remembered that I had made final corrections and adjusted it with reppuzan's input on the Google Doc so here you go.**

**Please be sure to leave a review.**


	8. Hooked On A Feeling

_"I apologize, Rocket, but the Spaceknights have searched far and wide within Galadorian territory and have found nothing." _The Galadorian with long dark black hair shook his head. _"Not even traders who venture out into Kree and Skrull territory are aware of a humanoid fitting Spider-Man's description." _

"Yeah, that figures." Rocket sighed as he scratched his greying fur. "Thanks for the info, Rom. At least we can tell the Terrans we tried."

_"I wish you luck and hope that Spider-Man is returned safely."_ Rom, the greatest of the Spaceknights, leaned down and the visual feed ended.

_"I'm gettin' too old for runnin' search parties."_ His aging may be slower than those Raccoons on Terra, but he did age. To be honest, Rocket doubted he would be able to continue on as a mercenary in another ten years.

Didn't mean that he would slow down in the meantime. He didn't wear the name Rocket Raccoon with pride just because it sounded cool.

"I am Groot." Rocket turned his head to look at Groot, who was sitting in the chair next to him tapping on his communication wristband.

"Look, if the Spaceknights, Quasar, Ravagers, the Inhumans, Xavier's brats, Mel-Varr, Galactus, and that brat running the Shi'ar couldn't find him then he's probably not in space."

"I am Groot."

"No, I'm not being lazy!" Rocket pointed a finger at him. "I'm just saying that we've got better things to do than look in every corner of the freakin' universe for one Terran! It's the universe, Groot! It's freakin' big and gets bigger every second!"

Groot raised a wooden eyebrow. "I am _Groot._"

"He is not dead! I guarantee you he's just hiding out on Terra because he's as annoyed as we are of the Terran's stupid problems!"

"I am Groot!"

"It's not speciest! I just don't want to deal with their bullshit!" Rocket growled as he punched buttons on the panel. "Besides, I've got enough freakin' problems dealin' with..."

_"ROCKET!" _

He groaned as the visual of Sam Alexander, the new snot-nosed Nova kid, appeared on the screen. "What is it _now_ kid?"

"Peter's caused a bar fight and some of the patrons are heavily armed. Gamora's with him, but it's getting pretty bad for everyone involved." Sam grimaced as the audio filled with the familiar sound of a muffled explosion. "I'm out here trying to make sure these idiots don't blow the entire station apart from the outside, but someone's got to go in there and help them out."

Rocket rubbed his temples. "Hercules?"

"Busy dealing with a drunk Captain Glory."

"Phyla and Heather?"

"Busy helping Hercules."

God, he hated having to ask this. "The _other_ Heather?"

"Still planetside with Blackjack and Prince of Power. You know she doesn't like dealing with her alternate."

Rocket sighed. "Fine, tell Noh-Varr to get his butt here and bail them out."

"Got it!"

God, the kid just kept bringing to them problem after problem.

Rocket brought up the picture of Peter Quill, the Star-Lord, still decked out in uniform with a younger version of Rocket sitting next to him in front of a ruined Annihilation Wave cruiser.

_"Just like your old man..."_

* * *

"You should not have punched the Kree." Gamora instructed her son as they sat behind cover, wiping the blood off her blades with a cloth as pieces of the metal table were blasted off. "Even if he deserved worse."

"It felt good." Peter Zen Whoberi Ben Titan raised his elemental blasters while switching their settings to ice. His green skin and dirty blond hair were matted with sweat, and that red jacket they had pilfered from a Ravager was now dirty. "After all, he did call me a dirty half-breed. That deserved _at least_ knocking in his teeth." He went up and fired two blasts at their pursuers. "Besides, he cheated at cards."

A small smile graced Gamora's lips. "Like I said, even if he deserved worse it does not justify starting a station-wide fight."

"I think that was because you cut off their commander's head, Mom."

_"Flippant... just like his father." _She remembered Peter Quill well. They had been a part of the Guardians of the Galaxy during the Annihilation War, vowing with their companions to find and end universe-ending threats. A man of honor but also one of flippant humor. A soldier that was professional but capable of kindness and friendship in the midst of war.

And one who was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice alongside the Terran Nova named Richard Rider to stop the encroaching Cancerverse.

They had spent nights together, and one of them resulted in Gamora's son. She had left him with Peter's relatives, but at the age of twelve the boy had found himself abducted by the Ravagers and their leader Yondu. She had come to rescue him when she found out, but by then Yondu was willing to let the boy go after teaching him the tools of his trade and giving Peter a replica of his father's elemental guns. She had wanted to bring him back... but Peter insisted in staying.

Now, they were making up for lost time.

And learning that Peter had his father's skill of attracting trouble.

"Cover me." Gamora leaped out from the cover and rushed at the gathered Kree and Skrull soldiers. She had heard that recently the two empires merged, but at the moment she did not care. Her blades flew as did their heads and limbs. They would learn why she was called the most dangerous woman in the galaxy.

Suddenly, the wall to their right exploded and Gamora shielded her eyes. Red blasts of energy downed the remaining Kree and Skrull patrons while out of the smoke came Noh-Varr, or Marvel Boy as he liked to be called, the Kree warrior from a parallel universe with a blaster wrapped around each hand. He flipped in the air before landing ten meters away from Gamora with his back to her.

"Gamora... Peter..." He nodded to them over his shoulder. "Come with me if you want to keep living life _awesomely_."

"Oh, will you stop saying that whenever you come to help us out in the last minute!?" Peter shouted from behind. "It's getting old!"

"Then stop getting into situations where you need my assistance."

Gamora shook her head and sheathed her swords. "Enough. Lets get back to Rocket, collect the others, and leave this place. I'd rather not have another bounty on my head due to idiocy."

"Follow me." With that, Gamora and her son followed Noh-Varr out of the ruin that was formerly a bar.

The Guardians of the Galaxy weren't needed here anymore.

* * *

**Notes: This was basically me wanting to touch on what's happening in space regarding the search for Peter, and to gush over how awesome Al Ewing's run on Guardians of the Galaxy has been so far and you should definitely read it.**

**Yes, Rom: Spaceknight is a part of Marvel Comics. In fact he's pretty integral to Rogue's transformation into a hero! So's Godzilla, technically, and if I could find a way to explain how King Ghidorah is now the universe's planet eater while Galactus is still the Lifebringer in a way that makes sense I would.**

**Be sure to leave a review!**


	9. Musings of a Punk Rock Girl

"Come on, Uraraka." Kyouka awkwardly pat her friend on the back as they exited the movie theatre. Sero was chucking his soda and smuggled-in candy into the proper receptacles while Midoriya was crying as much as Uraraka. "It wasn't that sad. I mean, they still caught the murderer and stopped the plot to blame the Sculpted."

"But it's just so sad!" Uraraka blew her nose into a napkin while tears ran down her cheeks. "Sha can't even be with Meera anymore and has to be blamed for the assassination!"

"Why did Pug have to die!?" Midoriya wailed as both him and Uraraka hugged. "It's not fair!"

"I know, Deku-kun! I know!"

Sero elbowed her arm and stated, "Told you we should've just seen the Doctor Aphra movie."

They had chosen to finally go to the movies just three days after the Villain attack on U.A. Sero said that they needed it and Kyouka had to agree. Their parents were freaked out by the turn of events more than they were, and Kyouka going out with her friends would put them a bit at ease.

None of them were really in the mood for any franchise movies so they decided to flip a coin on whether to see the adaptation for _The Spire _or _Will Save the Galaxy for Food._ The coin landed on _The Spire_ so they bought their tickets and went in.

And while she did enjoy the movie, though not to the extent that she loved the source material, it was a big mistake.

"Come on guys, stop crying." Kyouka pointed out to the street. "How about, instead of thinking about how sad the movie is we enjoy the night life before our curfews? I know a place run by an Argentinian that sells these amazing stuffed pizzas."

They walked down the street ignoring the glances that people made at them. She could hear some people mutter about how they saw them on the news a couple of days ago. Not surprising. After the whole villain attack, U.A had been swamped with reporters all trying to get the scoop. Looking to see how they can spin a few awkward comments from some still shaken kids into a story about how U.A failed their charges.

She had even been on a news segment for all of five seconds. She hadn't said anything big or damning, just that the whole event had been 'wild'.

_"And somehow that spun into U.A making their training grounds too dangerous." _Well, she couldn't really disagree with that. Kyouka was still kind of pissed about being trapped in the inferno section of the USJ.

"Mom said our neighbors had to drive off some tabloid guys last night." Uraraka said when they reached the pizzeria. "They were trying to take pictures through our windows! Can you believe that!?"

"I can! Reporters have been trying to shove their microphones into my face every time I try to walk home from school!" Sero clicked his tongue. "Been learning to change my route to the train a bit since. Is this what Pro-Heroes have gotta deal with?"

"My dad's been taking the heat off of me, mostly." Kyouka shrugged. "The benefits of having musicians as your parents, I guess."

Sero, Uraraka, and Midoriya's eyes widened. "Holy crap, your parents are famous!?" Their faces went closer to hers as Sero continued his questioning. "Anyone we know? Come on, spill!"

Kyouka blushed. Damn it, this was why she didn't advertise who her mom and dad were. "W-well…"

"Can I have your order please?" Kyouka felt relief wash over her when she heard the cashier's voice.

Turning to the guy she said, "One Fugazetta, please. And four sodas." She handed the cashier the money and they walked over to their table. Deciding to press on the distraction she asked, "So, Midoriya, how about you? I saw that little clip of you being harassed by that Oosawagi chick."

Midoriya's face turned a bright red. "W-Well, it wasn't harassment or anything. She was a bit pushy, but was nice even if she said those things about that… that vigilante guy."

When his expression turned dour Kyouka frowned. Midoriya had been in a funk ever since the villain attack. She didn't think it was from battling that Nomu thing. He had seemed kinda alright the day after that. But the following day he had seemed perpetually depressed despite putting a happy front whenever Sero or Uraraka brought attention to it.

_"So what's causing it? Is it that Spider-Man Vigilante?" _

Before she could ponder on this a bit more Uraraka chimed in. "Really, Deku-kun? Because I saw that video too and you were scrunching up your face at times."

The dour expression faded and Midoriya looked to the side with red-hot cheeks. "H-Honestly? It's because she kinda… really smelled like cigar smoke."

With that everyone began to laugh. They couldn't help it, really.

_"Figures the only bad thing that Midoriya has to say about a nosy reporter is that she stinks." _

The waiter came with their sodas and pizza. Kyouka had to admit that the Argentinians knew how to make one unique pizza. _"So much cheese…"_

"It's so good…" Uraraka moaned after taking a bite, string of cheese connecting her mouth to the slice held in her hand.

"To think that every culture has their own spin on pizza…" Midoriya brought his face close to his slice and marveled at it. "There isn't any sauce or meat! Just cheese and onions…"

"Hey, Midoriya, don't you think you should eat the thing instead of studying it?" Sero asked as he began shaking some garlic on top of his.

"R-Right! Sorry guys."

_"Study…"_ Kyouka winced as a memory crawled into the forefront of her mind. "Hey, did any of you study for that math quiz we've got tomorrow?"

Uraraka and Sero froze while Midoriya kept on eating. "Crap! I completely forgot about it!" Uraraka dropped her pizza and began rubbing her temples. "Oh man, I need to cram!"

"Well there goes my Sunday." Sero dejectedly nibbled on his slice. "Was fun while it lasted."

"I-I'm sure you'll do great, guys!"

Midoriya's earnest support made Kyouka grin a bit. _"It's almost like that Villain attack never happened." _

Right. It was just a fluke that it did happen. U.A hadn't expected it, but now they would get their act together and keep them safe. Now, she and her classmates could now focus on what's important.

Boring school crap… and becoming Heroes.

_"Speaking of which, that sports festival's coming up. I probably should begin preparing and get a head start."_

But she would prepare for her future later.

Right now… she was going to live in the present with her friends.

_"And I think we all deserve a break for now."_

* * *

**Notes: Pretty much just wanted to write this so I wouldn't get rusty writing the story's main school cast, and to give us a peak into the gang hanging out somewhere other than school grounds.**

**Also, please read _The Spire _by Simon Spurrier and Jake Stokely. It's one of my favorite non-superhero comics.**

**And yes, the Argentinian stuffed pizza is amazing and you should try it. Especially if its from an actual Argentinan place.**


	10. Just the Facts

**_"THERE'S A WHAT!?"_**

Jack Jameson, J.J to his friends, dug his pinky into his ear when the shout ceased. "Old man's on a warpath." He muttered to himself as he entered the studio. "What gives? I didn't do anything to piss him off… today."

He often swung by the studio of the ever-popular _Just the Facts_ as a favor to his dad. He didn't work in the place in any official capacity, but he was considered free labor by the host and he liked helping out the beleaguered assistants and staff moving boxes of unbought signed books.

Said host was his grandfather, John Jonah Jameson.

"Hey, Jared." He called out to the short blonde-haired assistant wearing a 'Spider-Man IS A Menace!' T-shirt and jeans. "What's got the old man bent out of shape? Did the Buzz rescue a kitten from a tree?"

Little did his grandfather know, but he was the Buzz.

J. Jonah Jameson's contempt for Jack's alter-ego started a couple of years ago when he attended a demonstration of Project: Human Fly with his dad and grandfather. Human Fly turned out to be an experimental body-armor that granted the wearer insect-like abilities. Jonah, ever the supporter of 'real heroes', had nothing but admiration for the test-pilot of the suit, Buzz Bannon, who was a former Navy SEAL.

Jack got along great with Buzz and they actually became sort of like friends.

Which was why it hit hard when it turned out the head doctor of the project, Dr. Sonja Jade, held Dad, Jonah, Grandma, and Buzz hostage.

He got his childhood friend Richie Robertson, the grandson of Jonah's old colleague Robbie, to help him sneak in and attempt to rescue them.

All it did was get Buzz killed trying to save their dumb butts.

Jack put on the suit and beat up the people holding his family hostage, but Jonah got it into his head that he killed Buzz and declared him a menace as bad as Spider-Man. Getting accused of being a murder by his own grandfather wasn't fun, and if Jack had any say in it he would've stopped using the suit, but Sonja Jade got away and he wouldn't rest easy until she was brought to justice.

_"So I get accused of being a murderer despite doing the right thing… Spider-Man was probably a masochist for dealing with it for so long."_

Speaking of Spider-Man, the wall-crawler's disappearance had put Jack's grandfather is a good mood… for the first few months. But after the War of the Realms, Jonah had gotten it into his head that the 'menace' was up to something. After all, why would the wall-crawler miss such an opportune chance to showboat during a huge event? Was he working behind the scenes with the elves? That provided Jonah with hours of content.

He had sort of simmered down lately. Instead finding greater use of his time and attention maintaining his echo chamber of anti-Buzz listeners. But Jack could always sense that a part of Jonah actually _missed _Spider-Man!

Jared turned to him and he saw the recognizable bags under the eyes of anyone that had to work for his grandfather nowadays. "Worse. Turns out there's a new Spider-Person out there."

Jack's eyes widened. "Hoo-boy. Please tell me he has his heart pills near him."

"They're already on his desk."

He walked to the recording booth and looked through the glass to see his grandfather. The flat-top grey hair and bushy grey mustache were still there, as was the sheen of his steadily receding hairline. He wore the usual white button-up shirt, red tie, suspenders, and black pants as he sat glaring angrily at his laptop.

Jack looked at the light that indicated recording was in session and saw that it wasn't on. _"Might as well say hello." _He opened the door and waved at his grandfather. "Hey, Grandpa! I could hear you from outside the building! What's up?"

"Look at this!" Jonah turned the laptop and showed the picture of a girl dressed kind of like Spider-Man. In fact, it looked like that one Spider-Man that popped up for a bit and got killed by Doctor Octopus. Except she also wore a leather biker jacket with patches on the shoulders. She was punching someone that kind of looked like the Hobgoblin but decided on a more 'armored' look. "A new masked menace inspired by Spider-Man! What is WRONG with the youth today!?"

"Dunno. Might have to do with all the video games and hip-hop."

"Don't you get smart with me, Jack!" His grandfather snapped before turning the laptop back towards him. "This is ridiculous! All my years of warning the public about him, all the people he's killed through his show-boating, and this is the thanks I get!? Even Captain America let him onto the Avengers! CAPTAIN AMERICA!"

The loudspeakers buzzed and a tired female voice said, "Jonah, remember your blood-pressure."

"I KNOW ABOUT MY BLASTED BLOOD-PRESSURE!" He then motioned Jack out. "Make yourself useful and get me some coffee! I need to research this idiot of a girl before my broadcast!"

"Alright, alright…" He stepped out of the booth and shook his head. "Y'know, the Buzz doesn't make you this upset."

"That's because people have the sense to want to bring the Buzz in!"

The loudspeaker buzzed again. "Jonah, it's time for your three o'clock pill." Jack closed the door just as his grandfather reached for a pill bottle and the loudspeaker proclaimed, "Not that one."

_"I almost feel kinda bad for that chick." _He thought while walking over to the Mr. Coffee where he saw Jared with a mug and pouring the contents of a flask into it. It was a bit of an open secret that all of his grandfather's employees liked to 'spice up' their coffee to deal with him, yet Jonah seemed oblivious to it.

Almost as oblivious as not realizing that the only reason he was doing the radio-podcast was because almost no news agency wanted him.

After years of the Bugle hemorrhaging money thanks to his front-page crusades against Spider-Man, he was forced to step down and let Robbie Robertson take his place as publisher. The lawsuits against him by the now-late Mac Gargan and the accusations that he bankrolled Spencer Smyth's death machines made him practically toxic to the news world, meaning that he couldn't even get a job at the other newspapers. He helped to make the Fact Channel as a way to get his message out there, but the declining ratings and a string of conspiracy hosts filling in the time slots forced Jonah to sell the channel to Roxxon Media.

He used the money to make _Just the Facts_, because people were apparently too stupid to figure out the truth themselves. There were plenty of subscribers, but not as many fanatics as Jonah had hoped. Jack knew that it was mostly people wanting to be amused by his ranting and they often prank-called the station or sent him joke gifts of Spider-Man plushies.

_"Gotta give him credit, though. The old horse doesn't know when to quit."_

He rushed back to the recording booth and handed his grandfather his coffee, to took it with a grunt while scrolling a webpage. Jared sat in the chair across Jonah's desk nursing his coffee as Jack stepped back out and waited.

"Okay, I got everything." He snarled and muttered, "This is probably what that wall-crawler had been cooking up while he was hiding…" Jonah then pointed to the glass. "Start the feed!"

"We're rolling in five… four… three… two… one!"

Jack sat in a chair and watched as the recording light went on.

"Good afternoon." Jared began while reading his script. "This is _Just the Facts with J. Jonah Jameson_, where listeners like you discuss the issues affecting our city with the Pulitzer Prize-winning…"

"TWO TIME!" Jonah screamed. "Two-time winning!"

Jack couldn't help but chuckle when Jared let out a small tired sigh. "_Two-time_ Pulitzer Prize-winning former publisher of the Daily Bugle…"

"Now plug the book!"

Jared obviously restrained the groan that was climbing up his throat. "And as always, if you order Jameson's book _Spider-Man: Threat or Menace_ in twenty-four hours of our broadcast you'll get a copy signed by the author at no additional cost…"

"No personalizations! Not gonna get it!" Jonah adjusted his tie while Jared took a swig of his coffee. "Now… welcome to _Just the Facts with J. Jonah Jameson,_ alerting you to the threats you don't even know. Now, let's jump right into the topic for today… Spider-Man's effect on today's youth." He practically leaned towards the microphone as he said, "Look, friends, I know that nowadays it seems like teenage heroes are crawling out from the woodwork. First you had those Young Avengers and the children of that criminal organization the Pride. Then, it seemed like any teenager who woke up and found that they could shoot lasers out of their butt because they were Mutants or their parents were a costumed vigilante decided to put on a ridiculous costume and wreck our cities!"

_"Well, he isn't wrong." _It seemed like the number of teenage superheroes was on an uptick since the early 2000's.

"Thankfully, after the tragedy at Stamford the Avengers eventually got their heads out of their asses and decided they didn't _want _another New Warriors debacle. Now every Power Pack wannabe has to train at Avengers Academy or with the X-Men in Westchester. However, none of them ever condemned the original teenage troublemaker… Spider-Man!" He pointed at the microphone accusingly. "They condoned his reckless and irresponsible actions for _years_, leading to countless deaths and billions of dollars in property damage! And because of that, more Spider-Whatsits began popping up! Spider-Woman, Araña, Silk, and to throw us off the fact he's promoting a sick fetish, Steel Spider and Scarlet Spider! And now it has come to a _Spider-Girl _of all things!"

_"Spider-Girl?" _Well, he supposed that he couldn't blame her. There were enough Spider-Women running around.

"Earlier today, this little girl decided to get herself in a fight with a costumed maniac who took up the Hobgoblin's identity during Daniel Kingsley's Ned Talk! Listeners, you all know that there is no love lost between Kingsley Corporation and I. I never bought his 'Inversion' ploy for a minute! But more than 3,000 civilians were endangered by this new web-slinging menace. Hundreds were injured, including one heroic Officer Jefferson Davis who is currently in a medically-induced coma for trying to usher people to safety! And I wouldn't wish the hundreds of thousands in property damage caused by Spider-Girl's recklessness on anyone!" Jonah snapped his fingers. "I'll take your calls now. Speak!"

A new voice entered the loudspeaker, a woman by the sound of it. _"Hi. I just wanna say that if it wasn't for Spider-Girl, who knows how many people would've been hurt. That maniac was throwing bombs everywhere, and people would've been killed if she hadn't made that Hobgoblin guy focus on her!"_

His grandfather glared harshly at the microphone. "Let me tell you something… did the Hobgoblin start lobbing all those bombs before or after this girl got involved?"

_"Before!"_

"WRONG! It was a bomb filled with a substance to put people to sleep and a missile to open up one of the Kingsley Towers! Now, the substance was obviously to incapacitate the superheroes on the scene while the missile was to open a path inside! The bombs started flying after Spider-Girl decided to duke it out right above the streets of New York!"

_"People were still hurt by that missile!"_

"Yes, and I send them my condolences and hope they make a speedy recovery." The sudden softness of Jonah's tone would've shocked most people, and Jack knew it was earnest. But as always, it took only a second for it to return to its normal state of being. "BUT! The Hobgoblin would've collected Daniel Kingsley and gone inside without harming anyone else. New York's finest were already evacuating the scene while paramedics treated the injured. Other costumed lunatics had the sense to immediately head over but wait until he went inside the building to minimize the risk to those fleeing the scene…. And what did Spider-Girl do!? She decided that it would be a great idea to start slugging it out in the air with this maniac, showboating and making the Hobgoblin bring out the big guns which endangered far more people than he would've if she let the professionals handle things!"

_"You can't know that!" _

That was kind of the annoying thing about his grandfather. In between all the rantings and obsession with Spider-Man there was a sliver of a good point. _"Spider-Girl probably was hoping to end the fight early if she got in the first punch. Too bad most super-people can take a hit."_

"Oh, I can't know that?" Jonah was grinning with delight. "Me, with my decades of award-winning on-the-job reporting experience? I can't make the educated guess of the motives behind masked menaces like this? Tell me, miss, what do _you _do?"

The caller was silent for a second before quietly saying, _"I'm an accountant…"_

"Well then make sure I'm in the black and SHUT UP!" Spittle was flying out of his mouth at the microphone. "Let me explain something basic to you… escalation! Menaces like Spider-Man have always escalated crimes in this city. Hell, before Spider-Man all New York City really had to deal with was some punk with a gun! Now we've got costumed psychos running around robbing banks every other week! AND because of people like him, teenagers like this Spider-Girl go out thinking that all these battles that put real people at risk are nothing more than a game. Thus escalating the crimes through their carelessness and hurting more innocent people for their showboating! But does Spider-Girl care!? No, because she just got her name out there on the interwebs and on TV!"

_"F-." _One of the technicians hit the censor button real quick. _"-EEP you, Jameson. You've been against Spider-Man for years. He could get a high-five from Jesus Christ himself and you'd somehow think it's part of a conspiracy."_

"And I think you need to come up with better counterpoints than that when you're not busy crunching numbers! Call back when you have an actual argument. GOODBYE!" With that, Jameson hit a button next to the microphone and leaned back with a self-satisfied smirk. "And that, dear listeners, is why I made _Just the Facts_. To provide you with articulate and thought-out reasons why we all need to hold menaces like Spider-Man accountable. And now we all must keep an eye out for Spider-Girl, to let her know that we will not stand for her immature showboating just because she wants to get famous like her idol!"

Jack shook his head and headed to the bathroom. _"Sucks for you, Spider-Girl. But hey, misery loves company!"_

If there was a silver-lining to this, it was that his grandfather would be too preoccupied to worry about what the Buzz was doing.

"And now a word from our sponsors!"

* * *

**The End**

* * *

**Notes: After the newest chapter I just had to write a Jameson response to the events. Plus I enjoyed having it from the perspective of Jack who in the MC2 is Jonah's second biggest pain in his ass.**

**Really, it was fun writing Jonah but don't worry we're not going to see him for a while in the main story. But it wouldn't be a Spider-Man fic involving the Marvel Universe if he wasn't here.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed that and be sure to leave a review!**


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